Ingrown Nail Treatment

What is an Ingrown Nail?

Often times nails can start to grow downward into the skin. When this starts to happen, you may begin to notice the following signs and symptoms:

Pain at the skin adjacent to the nail
Redness of this skin
Swelling of this area adjacent to the nail

What can be done to Treat an Ingrown Nail?

At Pinnacle Urgent Care, we are equipped to help you treat an ingrown nail. Should you think your pain may be stemming from an ingrown nail, please come in and let one of our clinicians evaluate you. The procedure to treat an ingrown nail is as follows:

Anesthetize the entire toe using a lidocaine injection at the base of the toe on either side. Prior to injection, this site will be cleaned with alcohol.
Once the toe is completely numb, we will use a special nail cutting tool to cut the border of the nail that has started to grow into the skin.
After the procedure, a simple dressing is applied.

What are the Post-Procedure Instructions Following Ingrown Nail Removal?

Most of the time, one of our clinicians will address pain control and infection prevention with you. Effective tools for pain control include:

Ice to the toe for 15 minutes at a time, 4 times a day
Elevating the foot for the rest of the day
Taking 1,000 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours
Ask your clinician if anti-inflammatory pain relievers like Ibuprofen (Advil) or Aleve are
ok for you to take

How Can You Prevent Infection Following Ingrown Nail Removal?

In most cases your clinician will write you an antibiotic to take daily for 5-7 days. It is also a good idea to clean the area twice a day with soap and water. If you notice any signs of infection, please come back to be reassessed. Signs of infection include increased swelling or erythema, drainage of white, green or yellow discharge, and warmth of the skin to the touch.